     :options true
     :get (fn [ctx] (access/access-level-for conn slug (:user ctx)))})
 
+  ;; Check the request
+  :malformed? (fn [ctx] (let [ctx-params (keywordize-keys (-> ctx :request :params))
+                              start (:start ctx-params)
+                              valid-start? (if start (valid-timestamp? start) true)
+                              direction (keyword (:direction ctx-params))
+                              ;; no direction is OK, but if specified it's from the allowed enumeration of options
+                              valid-direction? (if direction (#{:before :after :around} direction) true)
+                              ;; a specified start/direction must be together or ommitted
+                              pairing-allowed? (or (and start direction)
+                                                   (and (not start) (not direction)))]
+                          (not (and valid-start? valid-direction? pairing-allowed?))))
+
   ;; Existentialism
   :exists? (fn [ctx] (if-let* [_slug? (slugify/valid-slug? slug)
                                org (or (:existing-org ctx) (org-res/get-org conn slug))]

            [if-let.core :refer (if-let*)]
            [compojure.core :as compojure :refer (OPTIONS GET)]
            [liberator.core :refer (defresource by-method)]
            [oc.lib.slugify :as slugify]
            [oc.lib.db.pool :as pool]
            [oc.lib.db.common :as db-common]

                             start? (if (:start ctx-params) true false) ; flag if a start was specified
                             start-params (update ctx-params :start #(or % (db-common/current-timestamp))) ; default is now
                             direction (or (#{:after :around} (keyword (:direction ctx-params))) :before) ; default is before
                             params (merge start-params {:direction direction :start? start?})
                             boards (board-res/list-all-boards-by-org conn org-id [:created-at :updated-at :authors :viewers :access])
                             ;allowed-boards (map :uuid (filter #(access/access-level-for org % user) boards))
                             board-uuids (map :uuid boards)
